"The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck is a good book as it tackles the the hardships of the Great Depression. I found the book "Saint Maybe" by Anne Tyler an excellent read as it touches on the theme of searching for meaning in life amidst tragedy.

Another wonderful read, in the contemporary spy genre, is "The Russia House" by John le Carre. It touches on the universal themes of confrontations between countries, ideologies, and geopolitical systems.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy is a tale of warning of what can happen when society breaks down. It is a story that a young teenager may find enlightening and thought provoking. It will help them formulate their opinions on the path humankind is taking.

Finally, I suggest "Fahrenheit 451" by the recently deceased writer Ray Bradbury. This novel is a tale of the need to save books and literature, and a call to promote reading and thinking beyond Tweets and Facebook posts. A great warning novel, written well before the march to lost 'attention spans'.

I would suggest any Laurie Halse Anderson books (my daughter and son, 13 and 15 love them). I would also suggest the writings of Walter Dean Myers (such as Monster). A good series is Heather Brewer's The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.

Some books that my wife, who is a high school English teacher, uses are Catcher in the Rye, which certainly speaks to some of the feelings of alienation experienced by teenagers. Another is To Kill a Mockingbird, which addresses issues of racism, heroism and a host of others, and Fallen Angels, which is a great book describing the experiences of a young soldier in the Vietnam War. Aside from that, I still contend that the works of William Shakespeare remain relevant, and I think A Separate Peace is profound, complex, and very accessible to teenagers.

I am a 16 year old high school student and one series I found quite interesting is The Gone series by Micheal Grant. It is a five book series and consists of the books, Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plague and Fear. The series is about a small California Town called Perdido Beach. Every human 15 and older vanishes, and the town and surrounding areas are encased within an impenetrable bubble. Many of the people and wildlife develop supernatural powers. The story goes from there.The series is a very good read.